10,000' is "flying at a low altitude?" Departure airport is 1,000' MSL.

(Written on 09/24/2022)(Permalink)

Want to know some of the great Washington Redskins players? Check out the plates for Dulles International...

(Written on 05/29/2020)(Permalink)

I remember when I bought a new Bonanza and flew it out of the factory with my sales rep to Washington, DC. Given the winds aloft and not having a layover to change planes somewhere, my port-to-port time MATCHED that of United. In a SEL airplane! Did that again a couple years later when I was allowed to go along on the ferry of a new King Air C-90B. Same route, a ton of comfort, much higher altitude with good tailwinds and we beat United - by hours! God, I miss that.

(Written on 09/07/2018)(Permalink)

I remember when I was a student at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach and an Eastern Airlines flight landed a few miles north at Ormond Beach about 12-miles north, an airport laid out almost identical to DAB, both had Rwy 06 as their main and longest runways. DAB controller cleared him to land in visual conditions, and shortly later started asking him "Where are you?" The pilot responded with a careful, "On the runway...." Controller (Who figred it out...): Do you see the VOR on the field...?' Yup. And there it was. VOR was on the field - at Ormond - not DAB, and he was taxiing right by it, probably wondering what happened to the terminal. Simple mistake but hell to pay. 06 at OMB was shorter than at DAB, so passengers had to be bused to DAB, and the plane drained of all fuel except what it would take to get get airborne and to DAB. Some of my friends drove up just to watch the short-field take-off.

(Written on 09/07/2018)(Permalink)

Oh, boy. Back when I was a student there a bunch of us were in a dorm room and BS-ing about flying. One guy - and I can still see him in my mind - started talking about doing aerobatics in the school's aircraft, i.e., the Cessna 150D. An argument started; "No, you can't, and the POH SPECIFICALLY states you can't do that!" His response? "Oh, that's BS. You can - if you do it right(!!) Cessna POH's all say that to CTA, and they ALWAYS over-engineer for additional G's", blah, blah, blah. And then: "I'VE BEEN DOING solo loops, rolls, all the time (in school aircraft) and never had a problem." Like everything else re: airplanes, this guy knew-it-all! Strongly implied: "And you don't!" A couple days later we are BS-ing on the flight line with one of the ground school instructors. Really great guy and pilot, working on his ATP, and that subject came up. "Sure, you can do light aerobatics in a 150! IF YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING." But the real problem w

(Written on 04/22/2018)(Permalink)

Took off from runway 25L? 25? When I was a student there - a loooong time ago - it was runway 27! And there was only one of them. Oh, that magnetic variation...!

(Written on 04/20/2018)(Permalink)

"According to (NTSB) data, there has been only one other fatal crash involving Embry-Riddle aircraft at Daytona Beach International Airport since 1994." "...since 1994". I remember when I was a student there in late '65 and a Cherokee 140 augered in with an instructor on board, killing both. Horrible day for both the school and students.

(Written on 04/06/2018)(Permalink)

A 37-year old single-engine Cessna 172, at night, over mountains that can top 11,000 feet. Wx? Unknown. "...some who saw the plane take off were concerned when they saw it flying low." It was found in Sawmill Canyon; by my map, just a couple miles from the departure airport. Airport is at 6,752 MSL; the surrounding mountains of Sawmill Canyon are at 7,100' MSL.

(Written on 08/11/2017)(Permalink)

My first thought, too, Bill. If I was the FAA or AOPA I'd pass this one around as a "Look at this and see what you could fly into on a departure or arrival." Or in flight. A few years back I was in my C-T210 passing over Philly at about 7,000'. Beautiful clear Wx. All of a sudden I got WHACKED! Hard. With seat-belt on tight, my head still hit the overhead. So hard that if forced sound to come from my throat while I was talking to ATC and they asked what was wrong. Scared the crap out of me. Actually looked around to see if all the plane was still where it should be. And then I got hit again!!! Same thing. Controller told me it was probably wake turbulence from a 737 passing left to right in front of me minutes before, at about 9,000'. Second hit was the second (left side) engine.

(Written on 07/07/2017)(Permalink)

The pure irony of Russia, of all places, pullng the airworthiness of ANY airplane, is not lost on those who know its history.

(Written on 04/01/2016)(Permalink)